


Her Mother's Eyes

by gray_autumn_sky



Series: Set in Storybrooke, Canon Divergent [21]
Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-21
Updated: 2018-07-21
Packaged: 2019-06-13 18:32:20
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 738
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15370743
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/gray_autumn_sky/pseuds/gray_autumn_sky
Summary: Robin discovers that the child Zelena carried is actually–miraculously, magically–Regina’s child.





	Her Mother's Eyes

Robin feels his breath catch at the back of his throat and warm tears well in his eyes. He can feel his heartbeat quickening and he finds it nearly impossible to keep his thoughts straight, his mind reeling with so many questions—questions that will likely go unanswered.

A surge of emotion rushes though him. He doesn’t know how it’s possible, only that it somehow is.

He watches vigilantly, unable to take his eyes off the tiny girl, watching as she flails her arms and kicks her legs, wailing as the nurse tries unsuccessfully to wrap her in a soft pink blanket.

“This one’s got spunk,” the nurse tells him in a sing-song voice, though the comment barely registers. “A real firecracker,” she adds, “But a cute one.”

Then suddenly, the nurse lifts the child and places her in the crook of his arm and once more he feels his breath catch. He cradles her gently, rubbing his palm in soothing circular patterns over her back, as he counts ten little fingers and ten little toes, looking over her and memorizing every precious detail. He strokes his fingertips over her dark wispy hair, smiling at her softness. Within minutes, she begins to settle and her cries reduce to mere muffled whimpers, her wide brown eyes meeting his for the first time, and in that moment, he knows that it’s love.

She’s beautiful, he thinks—absolutely beautiful, just like her mother.

He can hear Zelena raging across the room—making loud declarations that this wasn’t how it was supposed to be, this isn’t what she meant to happen, this isn’t what she wanted or the spell she cast. She curses her magic, blaming the magic rather than the practitioner for whatever error took place, and she laments her sacrifices, all of which are now for nothing, bewailing that she never wins.

But Robin doesn’t look up or give any sign that he can even hear her; and quickly, her voice begins to fade into the distance. A wave of relief washes over him, as he realizes that she’ll no longer be a part of their lives. And then, he gives her no further thought. Instead, he cuddles the little girl closer, smiling as she stares up at him, her eyelids beginning droop and she drifts to sleep, cocooned in her father’s embrace. He leans in and places a feathery kiss on her forehead, murmuring to her his love. For a moment, he stands there, smiling down at the baby girl in his arms—completely captivated and completely in awe.

He tears his eyes away just long enough to ask the nurse if he can take her to the waiting room—there’s someone this little girl needs to meet; she nods her permission.

When they turn the corner into the waiting room, Regina looks up expectantly. “How did it go?” She asks as she rises to her feet.

“Better than I could have ever imagined,” he tells in a sincere voice. She tips her head curiously, watching as he nears. “Regina,” he begins, tears once more welling in his eyes, “I would like you to meet your daughter.” She shakes her head, not understanding. But he smiles, leaning in and pressing his lips against her cheek. “She’s ours—yours, just as much as she is mine,” he murmurs, pulling back slightly as he transfers the sleeping infant into her arms.

He watches as Regina’s eyes slowly fall away from his, slowly looking down at the little girl in her arms. He can see the emotion stirring in her expression, her eyes confused yet hopeful, not quite understanding, but wanting to believe. She smiles warmly at the little girl, carefully keeping her tears at bay, as she traces the back of her fingers over the girl’s cheek. “How?” She breathes, asking him the question, though she doesn’t look up at him. “I don’t understand how that’s possible.”

“Neither do I,” he admits quietly as his arm slides around her waist and his hand settles on her hip. “But it is.”

“What makes you say that?” Reluctantly, she tears her eyes away from the child sleeping in her arms. She looks up at him and her deep brown eyes are filled with a quizzical wonderment. “What makes you say that she’s…that she’s mine?”

A smile tugs at the corners of his mouth as he simply replies, “Because she has your eyes.”


End file.
